Roadblocks

And then there are the times we pray and the lightning bolt doesn't materialize. We don't get the clear answer, not a nice, neat yes or no, but rather a roadblock. Where did it come from? Is it a test of faith? Is it a warning sign from God to go no further? Or is it an attack from the enemy, who would love nothing more than to dissuade us from God's plans?

We had a roadblock about two weeks ago. We had found a house on the internet that we loved, very close to our current home, and we went to see it. It was perfect. All the things that drive us crazy in our house are just magically "right" in the new one. All the things we love about our house are also in the new one. The finances are possible, our kids wouldn't even have to change schools, AND we'd be around the corner from friends. For the final bonus, I knew of a family looking for a house like ours in our neighborhood. Talk about a win-win situation.

The thing is, though, there isn't really anything wrong with our house. Or our neighborhood. We aren't in the market for a new house, and I only found this one because I am addicted to real estate websites and like to see what's out there. Usually, nothing crops up that tempts us to move.

Then again, is there anything wrong with moving into a better house? It would probably save us money in the long run compared to putting more money into this house. It's not some monstrosity, though it is bigger. It's just that when I started thinking about it in terms of "deserving" a house like that, my radar went up.

So I went on my knees and asked God to please show me what He wanted us to do about the house. I thanked Him for our current home, and I honestly wanted His guidance without having (much of) an agenda. Having just come off my lightning bolt experience, I had high hopes.

Well, I got an answer, all right. Sort of. Once I prayed that prayer, the realtor vanished off the planet. I left messages to no avail, all my emails to her bounced, and we did not receive the property disclosure form that we really need to read before we can even think about seeing the house again. I also didn't hear from my friends who were trying to move here. Everything ground to a halt. The next day I finally heard from our friends... who are moving to Florida. Still no realtor. Still no disclosure. No potential buyers.

Do I have my answer? I really don't know. Is it an answer or a roadblock? Is it "no", or "not now", or "not this house", or "not on your timeline"? I've had this happen enough not to assume that difficulties automatically mean God is saying no, but nothing is happening. Roadblocks. Sometimes we just have to sit in the traffic line and wait a while before we'll see what caused the hold-up. And sometimes we get up to the front of that line and we can't find anything wrong! I'll keep you posted. One thing for sure: God is in the loop, even if I can't get an answer out of Him!